- By the way, how do you know about this place? - she asked, pausing for a moment to assess the accuracy of the layers of purple and green covering the wall's surface.
She had to admit, it was nice of him to choose the same shades as those covering her hair. When she heard his grumble, she handed him the pink paint without a word, perfectly understanding what he meant. In response, he sent her one of his charming movie-star smiles before quickly returning to work.
Time was slowly passing, and outside, it was getting dark. They were spending the last day of vacation together, and at the same time, the first day in this place. When Charlie appeared at her room's doorstep, she didn't think that a few hours later, they would end up in some old, dilapidated factory on the outskirts of the city. However, she couldn't complain; after all, she had the opportunity to observe the graffiti master Charles at work, as he liked to call himself.
In fact, it was their shared passion for drawing that had brought them together in the first grade. He had drawn her character, which she doodled in the corner of her notebook, claiming it ''looked great but needed more colors''. She always admired the boy's skills in creating great and proportionate drawings on a larger scale. On the other hand, she preferred significantly smaller projects, but Charlie believed it was one of the many things that complemented each other.
- Do you remember that guy we met at the gate today who helped us find our rooms? - his words were interrupted by the sounds of spray paint every few seconds. - Well, he told me about his girlfriend and that she has a brother who sometimes hangs out here on his motorcycle or something.
- And you managed to learn the life story of some guy at the first meeting? - she asked, making him stop painting for a moment and look at her with furrowed brows. As soon as he nodded, she rolled her eyes and focused back on her drawing. - Okay, fine. But I bet you don't even remember his name.
- I don't need to, my dear Alex. I got what I wanted. - he shrugged. - Besides, I didn't just get to know some guy. - He paused and raised his finger, trying to get her attention. When she looked in his direction, he smiled broadly. - I also met his girlfriend. And his parents. His dad even shook my hand!
- Damn, a real social butterfly. - she scoffed, not expecting anything different from him.
The boy always attracted people to himself and gained their sympathy faster than they realized. In her mind's eye, she could already see a crowd following him after the first week of school. She smiled with the marker cap between her lips, trying to refine the outline in a few places. Although her scribbles couldn't compare to the masterpiece forming a few meters to her left, she didn't want to leave all those gaps, and further attempts to use the spray without her skills would probably only make things worse.
- You know you're not supposed to do it like that? - a voice behind her said, and its owner looked at her with interest. - It takes away the whole point...
- And yet, here I am, finished. - she interrupted him, sneakily hiding the ruined marker in her pocket. If he saw that it was one of his favorites, he might faint.
- I'm done too. - he put the empty can in his backpack before taking a few steps back, pulling the dark-haired girl by the arm to stand next to him.
His graffiti depicted one of those red Hanny masks on an orange-pink-yellow background. The entire lower part of the drawing flowed down with the paint on the wall, but she knew his style, and there was no doubt that it was an intentional move. Her picture, on the other hand, portrayed a simple skull with fangs and horns, from which she led a few colorful spots towards the boy's drawing. Instead of warm colors, the dark-haired girl used green and purple, with pink being the element that tied their works together.
- Did you paint your mom again?- she muttered, paying special attention to the demon's fang, which was noticeably shorter than the other.
It reminded her of Mrs. Moreau's story, who met Mr. Moreau in line at the dentist's after chipping her front tooth. Charlie's dad told her then that even without teeth, she would be the prettiest girl he had ever met, and somehow, the two of them got married a few years later. She heard this story at least a million times; Charlie's parents told it on every family visit, but she always listened with just as much interest.
- And what did you draw? Death on drugs? - he raised an eyebrow, and the vertical pupil of the skull seemed to warn him from where they stood. - Anyway, you did really well. Just a weird cut at the top; otherwise, I have no complaints.
- Yeah, I know. That's because I didn't feel like fixing it. - she defended herself, only now noticing how crookedly she colored the upper part, causing the whole thing to shift too far to the right.
- No, it's because you're a dwarf and couldn't see where you were putting the paint. - he laughed heartily when she furrowed her brows at him in that silly way she always did when he started teasing her. - You could have asked me to help you.
She always told him that he could laugh at their almost thirty-centimeter height difference, but it was he, at six feet three inches, who drew attention, not her. On the other hand, it had to be admitted that Charlie simply attracted looks with his dark, thick curls, prominent cheekbones, and deep green eyes that were a hundred times more intriguing than her hazel ones. Sometimes, however, his looks and kind heart became a curse for him, especially in the face of particularly intrusive people. The boy wasn't naive; he could see the hidden intentions of others, but he was just too kind to firmly reject pushy individuals.
That's when Alex always stepped in, saving him from awkward situations. It usually involved her pretending to be his girlfriend, but she could be more creative when she felt like it. Once she pretended to be his underage fiancée, another time she was pregnant, and yet another time she was his blind, younger sister whom he had to take home. She never managed to finish her lines before people magically disappeared faster than they appeared. However, when unwanted attention was directed at her, Charlie reacted quite differently. The girl remembered all too well how last summer the brunette knocked out a stranger who tried to kiss her, drunk, after she had clearly said 'no' several times.
- Maybe next time. - she snorted, glancing at the screen of her phone. - By the way, we'll both be in trouble if we don't get back soon.
- Oh, sure. - he scoffed, meanwhile bending down to gather his things. - But from what I know, they mainly look after kids. No one will bother us.
- We have a whole year ahead of us. Enough time to paint this dump from the foundations to the roof with paint, but today, we still need to unpack. - she stated, to which he sighed resignedly, nodding.
- Yeah, you're right. - he agreed, helping her clean up the scattered cans before they grabbed their backpacks and headed towards the exit. - So, what do you say? Wanna be a graffiti master's apprentice? - he tossed in as he helped her climb onto the bridge.
His eyes sparkled, and his face lit up as he raised the corners of his mouth encouragingly.
- It depends on whether the master finds time for me. - she reciprocated the smile, although hers was decidedly more restrained.
He understood the implication, and sighed dramatically, patting her on the shoulder.
- Come on, separate classes are not the end of the world. You'll definitely find someone worth your attention. - he grimaced, aware that he sounded like his own mother. - Anyway, it's a good opportunity, and we'll still see each other in our free time. And now we have this place. A large canvas for big projects.
She opened her mouth to correct that she didn't really need new friends, when a loud crash echoed behind them. They jumped in place out of fear, looking towards the factory as if it were about to collapse before their eyes. However, the structure remained still, although now it seemed much less friendly than during the day.
- I bet that was the old elevator. Good thing we stayed away from it. - Charlie whistled, then shrugged and turned on his heel.
Alex, on the other hand, stood there for a moment, staring into the darkness, and a shiver ran down her spine. It must have been a product of her imagination, but for a moment, she felt like she saw some movement in the passage. Probably just a play of lights, she thought as she averted her gaze.
- Are you coming? - Charlie's shout interrupted her thoughts, and all her attention focused back on her friend, who eagerly began telling her about his ideas for future murals and the places where he could put them.
She thought that with him by her side, Cadic might not be so bad after all...